To Be A Father
by myluckistwisted
Summary: Before Trisha's grave, Hohenheim has one last gift for Edward. This would be in the manga/Brotherhood anime.


A/N - This takes place right after the battle in Brotherhood with Father of the Homunculi, where Hohenheim is before Trisha's grave. This is completely unbetaed and constructive criticism is welcomed.

Disclaimer: This is FANfiction. Therefore it is FAN written. Therefore I own nothing.

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><p>Van Hohenheim walked slowly through the small town of Resembool. His feet were hurting because he had almost continually walked from Central to get here, only stopping to eat and rest. The alchemy scars that had been traveling up his toes and his fingertips were encasing his arms and legs and were eating away at his torso. Still, there was something here that he had to do before he set out on that final journey with her. His beautiful Trisha. He had loved her since he had first seen her in the company of his few friends, Pinako. It took her a while to convince him that she loved him back, for who could ever want a sinner and a monster that is unable to die? Thinking of her brought more recent memories of his boys. Alphonse, the child who had gone without warmth for years, who would do anything for his sibling, and Edward, who looked so much like his father, who would give everything for his little brother, who bore too many burdens to be the child he should have been.<p>

He stopped walking. He had finally reached the gate of the small town's cemetery. _Trisha._ Looking down, he trembled. Now that he was here, he realized that he needed to face his mistakes, his failures. He had left when he should have stayed. He should have returned when he received the letter that his elder child had desperately sent him when his wife became ill. He could have saved her. He could have kept his children from heartbreak, and from the pain they took upon themselves to once again see their mother, and then all they went through to get their original bodies back. He had to face that everything had happened since Trisha died was his newest fault and sin.

He slowly picked up his left foot and moved it forward. After the first step he remembered tears on his Trisha's face as he left.

_Step. Step._

Wandering around getting information and rumors about what his first devastating mistake was doing and costing the people of this fledgling country.

_Step. Step. Step._

Getting the letter from Ed and thinking it best that he didn't return. A letter from Pinako that Trisha had died and the boys had left to look for an alchemy teacher.

_Step. Step. Step. Step._

The letter from Pinako that his boys had tried something unspeakable and Ed was missing limbs while Al was trapped in a suit of Armor. Returning to Resembool and finding his house was a charred ruin. Finding that Ed had automail surgery and was now in the Military.

_Step. Step._

Figuring out that the military was under _His_ control. _His sons were there!_

_Step. _

Going after them.

He stopped again and knelt. He was here. With his Trisha again. A voice broke the calm quiet in the cemetery.

"Brother! Knock it off; you've been babying me too much. I can walk to Mom's grave by myself!"

"I know Al. I just… don't want you to get hurt again."

"Ok Brother. We're almost th- Father?"

He couldn't move if he tried. His legs had finally lost their strength to the scars.

"What are you doing here? You've disappeared since the fight in Central."

"Ed."

"What? He did!"

"Look at the marks on his shoes and clothing. It's like he walked all the way back."

"No wonder he was gone so long."

There was one final thing he needed to do. "Edward," he rasped, "Alphonse, please come here. Let me be a father one last time. Please." A silence, then a set of strong arms pulled him around and he was looking into two sets of golden eyes. He strained as he pulled his arms up and around his sons for the last time. "Thank you."

He reluctantly pulled back. "Ed. I have one last gift for you." He took his hands off the shoulders of his boys and onto Ed's face. There was a flash of alchemy and he slumped down, his strength drained.

"You bastard! What did you do?"

"Father?"

"I gave you my gate. I don't need it anymore. I wanted to be a father before I die. I wanted to be a parent to you one last time."

"You did what?"

"I gave it to you because I don't need it where I'm going. But there is always a need for the Hero of the People. You have your alchemy back my son. I'm so proud of you."

His breathing was labored and the alchemy scars had taken over his torso and almost all of his face after he gave his gate of truth to his son. He didn't have much time left.

He looked back up at his boys, "So proud of both of you. Truthfully I really didn't want to die yet." He smiled as his breathing and heartbeat slowly stopped. "But I'll get to see my Trisha again."

"Hohenheim? Ed? Al?" Pinako came running in. She took one look at them and stopped. "He's gone isn't he?" Two nods; one tearful, the other pained, "It was past his time boys. What a peaceful smile he has."

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><p>An - This is my first attempt at writing Fanfiction. Thank you for reading, I'm not sure how well I did. Please Review!


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